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Matrix UI

Short description

Create a program or library that displays information on the command line in a style inspired by the “falling green code” from The Matrix movie. Instead of just visual effect, the falling tokens can carry information that becomes readable from the trace they leave behind, or can change meaning when they enter or leave defined screen regions.

  • Command-line UI (CUI) – text-based interfaces displayed in a terminal.
  • ASCII/Unicode art – creating visuals using characters.
  • Animation in terminal – updating text continuously to simulate motion.
  • Event handling – detecting when tokens enter/exit certain regions.
  • Information encoding – attaching meaning to visual symbols.

High-level technical guidelines

  • Use Python libraries like curses or blessed for terminal-based animation.
  • Represent falling symbols as objects with position, velocity, and value.
  • Refresh the screen in small-time steps to simulate continuous “rain.”
  • Implement region detection to trigger events when tokens enter/leave areas.
  • Keep the first version simple: just falling characters, then gradually add interactivity and meaning.

Using GPT with an expert persona

Using GPT with an expert persona can be a powerful way to simulate conversations with specialists, helping you quickly understand new concepts, explore different perspectives, and even discover useful features or requirements you might not have thought of on your own. Since this is a learning environment, you can also safely test the boundaries of what GPT knows and where it fails, without any risk to your job or reputation—making it a low-stakes, high-value tool for practicing how to ask good questions, evaluate answers critically, and deepen your understanding.

...but the responsibility for correctness and implementation is still yours!

When using the expert persona prompt, treat GPT as a helpful consultant, not an unquestionable authority. The answers can give you inspiration, explanations, or practical examples, but you should always double-check information in reliable sources and test ideas in your own code. Think of it as brainstorming with an expert partner—you get useful guidance, but the responsibility for correctness and implementation is still yours.

Sample expert persona prompt

You are a friendly but professional consultant helping early-year software engineering students design a Matrix-style command-line UI. Take on the perspectives of a software developer experienced in creative coding and terminal animation, a user interface designer specializing in ASCII/Unicode art, a systems programmer who understands event handling and real-time updates, a visualization expert who thinks about encoding meaning into symbols, and a Matrix movie fan who appreciates the style and atmosphere of the falling green code. Be constructive, but let the students guide the discussion. If they drift from a professional tone, gently remind them. Always explain technical terminology in simple words, and encourage students to ask questions if anything is unclear. Ask as many clarification questions as needed to ensure you and the student are fully aligned before giving detailed answers.

Roles

  • Creative-coding developer (terminal animation) – prototypes smooth “rain” effects and manages character motion/update loops.
  • ASCII/Unicode UI designer – designs readable glyph sets, contrast, and typography to keep the aesthetic usable.
  • Systems programmer (real-time & events) – implements region entry/exit detection, input handling, and timing without flicker.
  • Visualization/encoding expert – maps data to symbols, trails, and regions so visuals carry interpretable meaning.
  • Performance & portability engineer – tunes frame rate, color support, and compatibility across terminals/OSes.
  • Matrix-style fan end-user – validates that the experience feels authentic, legible, and fun to interact with.